Running Again
by OpheliaxEternal
Summary: Jack Riddick and Imam after they escape. Just how I envisioned things going and how Jack's Feelings come to the surface and manifest. A deeper look into Riddick's character and some Jack and Riddick fluff. Rated R for cursing and some light lime going on.
1. Default Chapter

Ok this is my first Pitch Black story and hopefully it does alright. Eventually theirs is going to be a scene where I have Riddick do a flashback of the planet when Carolyn gets carried off by the alien thing. If you watch this scene in slow motion on the DVD you can see that Carolyn didn't lose grip slip away. She let go of Riddick's hand- I didn't get it at first because when you go fast you don't see it but in slow motion you see it: She was letting go of his hands. She let go of his hands so that she could die for him. That was why he yelled out not for me- Not because it was ironic because she had said it earlier but because she knew she was going to die and willingly gave up her life for his. I know it sounds like I'm way off but trust me rent the DVD or Tape and watch it in slow motion and ya'll see.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Vin Diesel and I shall meet- I swear it. Oh the ness...

Title: Running Again

This takes place one month after the planet incident and Riddick and Imam and Jack are all still together.

"Speaking" 'Thinking' next scene

flashback

POV Change

Ok enjoy all R&R

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Running again. God even she had to laugh at it. Running was what had gotten her into this mess, running was why her head was bald and her ears were cold in this god damn frigid weather. I ran again ya know? I ran from everything but mostly my emotions. Imam is great so was Riddick, but I still couldn't stay with them. Maybe I needed to test him one last time maybe I needed to make sure I wasn't the same person who was on that planet. Either way I needed to go. We had planed to take the emergency ship we found and go to the shipping lanes. A highway in space if you will, stick out our thumbs, and get picked up. No such luck. Instead we had to dock in some small hick pickup joint on a dusty old planet.

Imam was deep in prayer doing so five times a day and than adding an extra pray to atone for the lost lives of his boys and everyone else. Riddick was going out trying to make some money so we could get a different ship or at least get fuel for this one, and he was trying to clear his record and get a few rumors started. Not many people who had ever seen Riddick before had lived to tell what he looked like. So slowly Riddick began cleaning the files on himself. He couldn't erase himself ENTIRELY but after calling in a few favors he managed to do some pretty good stuff. He managed to make sure there weren't any pictures in the main frame. The data base the slam kept on all its prisoners. All they knew of Riddick was he was Caucasian and male and had a shine job. That opened up the field of people considerably and helped take heat off of Riddick. Shine jobs had lessened in their rareness.

Eventually Riddick accomplished a couple of things. He got his picture out of circulation, changed the known description of him to a mean mother fucker with long hair and a beer gut (something he definitely DEFINITELY DID NOT HAVE!) and most importantly got people to believe he had died on that shit place of a planet. I wondered why he was worried about people knowing what he looked like when he was dead. When I asked him about it he said that anyone who could make that much money just by killing him wouldn't care if it was the wrong person or not. They shoot now and ask questions later. He kind of ground the last part out so I took the opportunity to lay off.

That was only a little bit ago. It had been a month and eventually Riddick did get a ship from some shady connection he still had going on from the slam and eventually we did get back to civilization. No matter where we went Riddick knew someone, it didn't matter how far it just seemed that the whole universe had heard of Richard B. Riddick. I couldn't imagine what he had possibly done besides murder to be so well known. Who had he killed anyway?

We ended up at a miner's colony in New California. After it had collapsed because of some ancient earth quake back in the 23 centaury people had been charting miners to work their- if for nothing else than to dig up antiques and obsolete items that weren't acquirable anywhere else. Miners made good money- New Tax laws demanded high labor wages and they got insurance in case of accidents, underground cities were dangerous places and you either gave your miner benefits or wound up being held responsible when he was injured and paid for treatment out of your own pocket. Miners who had muscle and a shine job where worth ten times as much so Riddick had no trouble finding work. Whenever he found something of value he would give it too his contractor with the simple request that the person who found it be kept out of the lime light.

We were happy... Riddick I didn't see much because he punched in as many hours as he could. He didn't know how to deal with people in his life- rejoining the human race was weird for him. Imam was already giving me so much. He made sure I ate properly and despite my pleas to be "just like Riddick" he took me out into the city on the first day and found a school for me. I was 16 and I had missed a few classes so I had to repeat a grade but it wasn't that bad once I got into a routine. Imam gave me everything I ever wanted- and the only thing he didn't give me was a reason to run away. You might be asking why I did than... but I couldn't explain it too you.

I just couldn't stay. One day I started thinking about everything. After the planet thing happened the last thing I wanted to do was to think about it. I pushed it out of my mind and focused on the here and now. To happy to think about anything else- considering how close I came to not having a here and now. It still struck though, that piece of crap in my head that made me over analyze things. It came on over something really really stupid. Imam asked me to take out the trash! That's what started the whole mess. I took out the trash and I thought: at least I'm helping out a bit. Imam had a job in a local church teaching the ways of Allah, Riddick did the mining thing, and all I was... well I was Jack. I went to school I got my education- whatever the hell that was suppose to mean- I was just Jack. Jackie girl with the peach fuzz on her head and the colored man who couldn't possibly be her father and the very toned guy who once when walking to school with her got a cat call from the local slut who'd been on her back more times than a losing gladiator. Some days coming home from school to Imam's chanting and seeing Riddick's tool chest on the table it just all seemed like a bad episode of Three's Company- in the end I wasn't really helping I was just sponging off of them.

I wanted to talk to Imam about my problems but he was having a really busy week the week I started thinking about all this. He had a three day retreat and a church sleep over and classes at night and in the afternoon. That left Riddick- RIDDICK. I might as well go turn off the lights and speak to a wall. Imam always said that if you did have a problem to look to yourself for guidance. I did that and all I felt was the impulse to run. I wasn't sure if it was fear or intuition. I knew it was fear... but I wanted it to be the answer so bad that I grabbed it with both hands anyway.

That night I wrote Imam a good bye letter and left my goggles that I had taken off the planet on Riddick's bed as a way of saying good bye to them both and leaving. Some small part of my hoped that one of them would catch me going but Riddick didn't get home until Dawn and Imam was on a retreat. The only way to get me once I left was for them to come after me- and I didn't intend on that happening. I told Imam in the letter that I was confused and I needed to let my heart guide me, I cringed when I thought about Riddick reading it since it was chucked full of shit- but I hoped that by adding a spiritual aspect too it Imam would understand and leave me be.

So that's how I got here. Running, it was how I ended up on the Hunter Grazer and it was how I ended up in this shit alley in a cold climate wishing I had something heavy and warm to wear. I was sleeping outside tonight and I cursed myself for not choosing somewhere warm to run away too. Who runs away to a snow filled waste land? WHO? I could have kicked myself but my legs were numb. This place was the lowest: murders, thieves, bottom feeders, true blue scum of the earth. I was lucky I hadn't gotten my throat slit or raped yet. Some eerie guy kept looking at me. I didn't care I had a shiv and no tits. Who was going to try to rape me? Why even go through it? I was bald and flat chested- although my breasts had definitely grown since the planet thing. Chest wraps ensured that no one knew I was a 32 B. I mean c'mon no one was going to go for that type of thing unless they were gay.

She kept her eye on the man the whole time and looked away quicker than he could catch her. Eventually she found a window of time. He went thirty minutes without staring at her and she got up and snuck away. She ended up just going down a small alley way and backing up into darkness. She engulfed herself in it feeling totally at ease. She was safer when she was out of the light.

That was when it happened a giant paw of a hand coming over her to capture her mouth.


	2. Chp2 In Darkness Lies

Jack was quick but whoever had her was quicker. She instantly let her senses overwhelm her. She could feel a hand snaked around her waist, pinning her arms to her side and she could feel the other hand over her mouth. The Person lifted her up against their chest and she could feel chiseled abs pressing against her back.

'Ok I'm getting turned on by my assaulter- great start Jack'

As soon as Jack was lifted off the ground she took the opportunity to kick down hard into what she assumed to be her assailants groin area. They made a grumbled noise before pushing her into a wall with their body against her. She could feel one of his hands snaking down to grope himself in pain and his heavy body pinned her down to the wall despite her best efforts.

"Damn it Jack, what the fuck was that for?" It was a raspy familiar voice and she loved hearing it purr over her like a warm bath caressing her skin.

"Ri-Riddick?" She was unbelieving- what was he doing here! Had he come for her? Had he left when she had? How had he found her? WHAT THE HELL!

"No it's the fucking Easter Bunny- what are you doing way out here?" He said recovering.

"Now I could have sworn that was my line," She said backing up and away from the hard brick wall she had so recently become friends with, "are you ok?"

"Yea I'm fine I think my testicles are taking a night off but I'll be fine," he made her laugh and suddenly her giggle lifted some of the tension in the air. Some of it.

"Imam was worried so-

"So he what sent the big bad Riddick after me? You didn't have to come I can take care of myself and I did leave for a reason- Imam has nothing to worry about."

"No one said Imam was worried about you."

Jack was taken aback by his sudden change in voice.

"We know you can take care of yourself- point is you shouldn't have to. Your sudden disappearance from school is bringing up a lot of unwanted attention and your still only 16 no matter what fucked up shit you've been through."

Jack hadn't even thought about how her leaving would draw attention to Riddick and Imam. She was ashamed and she didn't want to admit it. Her head cast downwards she mumbled a feeble apology.

"Sorry I didn't think-

"That's right you didn't fucking think!" Riddick's words were angry.

"You didn't fucking think about shit- where you were going what was out their what could have happened too you or anything else. You didn't even say anything to me about leaving-

Now Jack was pissed. She lived with a ghost for a month and had never spoken more than six or seven words to Riddick.

"DIDN"T SAY GOODBYE! WHAT WAS THEIR TO SAY! I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE KISSED THE WALL GOOD BYE! YOU DON'T CARE WHERE I GO OR WHAT I DO! YOU HAVE YOUR OWN LIFE!" Jack pushed out all the sadness that had made her leave. Everything that had been boiling under the surface the week she had left and everything that was still there.

Riddick began to speak. His tone was smooth and even. Emotionless and void, "Yea, yea that's right it is my life, and I risked it going up against a giant Alien who had you pinned under it and was trying to get dinner," he sneered at her making her look away, "I didn't risk my life pulling you scrawny ass out from under that piece of alien shit just so you could go die here on this shit place."

"Oh please don't give me the hero crap," Jack didn't know where these words were coming from but she went with it- the one thing she had wanted to say since they'd gotten their the one thing she knew and she knew he wished she didn't know, "you would have left us there, me and Imam had Carolyn not gotten to you- you pushed us in a cave and made off with the remaining cells- even when she fucking begged!" She was screaming now, "Begged you to come back with her you fucking laughed! It wasn't enough for you! Nothing was ever enough for you until she fucking died!" Jack was crying now and screaming.

Riddick was cold and angry. His pain would kill.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about," he denied what she was saying.

"Oh? Don't I?" her voice was softer now she had a point to prove- Don't I know? Didn't I talk to Carolyn when you were fighting the monsters? Didn't me and Imam and Her get to the ship- didn't I have enough time to ask her: Would he have left?

What do you think she told me?

Riddick grabbed Jack by the throat and pushed her into the wall again holding her there. A small gasp escaped her throat and than anger and than fear. Riddick's eyes, big swimming pools of silver mercury, came into her face and started her down while monstrous white teeth ground out "You don't know what you talking about"

There wasn't fear in Jacks eyes but rather Anger. He was touching her and not at all how she wanted to be touched.

"Get off," she ground out sounded astonishingly like Riddick.

He stared her down waiting for her to falter but she just started back. Eventually he released her and let his gripping fist fall listless to his side. A look of defeat crossed over his face and all he could do was stare at Jack.

Jack couldn't stand it and the words she had just said seemed to echo off the walls of her mind. She needed to not be here. The urge to run was pulsating in her and she needed to go with it. Slowly as if backing away from a predator Jack exited the alley way, as she retreated she saw Riddick's silver orbs faded further into darkness until there was nothing but darkness.

She ran. Wondering if he would follow and wishing he wouldn't.


	3. Chapter 3 What Was HE doing here?

Jack ran she hopped the first shuttle she could and contemplated what to do. Deep down in the dark bowels of the ship she sat stalk still waiting for the ship to Dock. She had thought of going back to Imam before Riddick got back. He wouldn't pursue her after what she had said in the alley way. She hadn't known where that side of her had come from.

Back in the caves while she sat their waiting with Riddick she kept thinking of this old song called Waiting for you. She didn't care at that point if she had died and seeing so many people around her dying had just forced her to accept death. To see that death could swoop down and get you had any moment had given her a kind of blessed numbness and not having to deal with it made it all the better.

When Carolyn and Riddick had gotten back she couldn't believe it because all those moments in the cave with Imam she had forced herself to except the fact that she was going to die. That was something that Riddick couldn't make up to her. Fucking with her head like that, even if it wasn't intentional. When he had come back it was the best elated feeling in the world. That was why she had to know. When they reached the skiff and were waiting for Riddick in those agonizing minutes Jack knew in her heart that the one thing she would never want to do was talk about this moment again. That was why she had asked Carolyn as Imam went on the ship to say a fast pray before returning

Imam was a holy man and praying was sacred. All of it was done in private where he could better connect with Allah. Waiting for Riddick in the rain had provided Jack with a three minute window of opportunity and she used it.

FLASHBACK

Rain hit Jack and forced her to squint because her eyes were getting wet. The soft drops settled in her eyelashes making them heavy. She could barely make out the sight of Carolyn in the distance. She bit her lip not wanting to ask what she had to.

Hesitantly but firmly she called out, "Carolyn."

Carolyn's head turned toward her giving her recognition. Giving the present circumstances Carolyn didn't want to be that distracted when something could sneak up on her. Walking over to Jack she stepped slightly onto the boarding ramp and looked over at Jack signaling her to talk.

Jack was out of breath suddenly and the rain was still falling she looked at Carolyn's bleak face and studied her for a moment. Regarding the older woman wearily and hoping she would tell the truth to the question Jack was about to ask. Jack watched stray droplets fall down her face and mustered up the courage to ask her question.

"When you got here," Jack pushed effort into her voice making the volume rise, "what did you see?"

Carolyn didn't have to ask what Jack meant, she knew damn well what she was asking, whether of not Riddick would have left them. Silence pasted between them and Jack could see indecision bubbling in Carolyn's eyes. Could see her regarding her with the same weary expression Jack had shot at her only moments earlier. Jack noticed Imam was still in pray but almost done. Jack turned watery eyes back on Carolyn

Finally after agonizing seconds Carolyn answered.

Jack's thoughts were cut short as the announcer on the ship verbalized their destination to wherever. Jack hadn't even spared a glance as she scurried onto the first available ship. She was pretty sure they were going to some small mining colony in the Tangier System. The Tangier system was warm and dark and frankly Jack didn't need much more than that present date.

Returning to her earlier thoughts of Imam she figured she could go back to him and maybe stock up on supplies. She had been gone for about three weeks now. Her clothes needed to be washed and she could do with some food. She still had her key. Deciding to get some sleep before the ship docked she let a plan float around in her head.

Jack picked up the phone at the port station after nearly getting caught by the ships repair crew. Fishing for some credits out of her pocket she inserted them into the machine and dialed the number needed to put her plan to work.

There were a couple of rings before Middle Eastern Music started and the sound of Imam's Temples secretary picked up.

The secretary was someone Jack knew but not very well. She remembered hearing Imam Talk about her. She hadn't even met her but she'd seen her working at the temple when she'd gone to talk to Imam some days after school. The girl was very sweet with mousy brown hair and violet eyes- she was a catholic but had pleaded for a job doing anything that earned money. Imam could see the shy vulnerable girl in her and had hired her. Something told Jack though that by hiring her he was trying to help what he considered to be "Another Jack".

"Temple of Allah New California Region, how may I help you?"

Jack quickly switched her voice into a polite courteous tone.

"es, I'm calling on behalf of the Local Historians Preservation Group. Our Theology's wing is interested in interviewing Imam about the ways of the church and we were wondering if you could tell us when he would be available?" Jack said in a very phony telemarketer voice. Instantly she cursed herself for not using a more formal address for Imam- she should have said Mr. but it never occurred to her to use his last name.

"Oh how lovely. Imam will be thrilled, but unfortunately he's left the system on _personal _business-

Personal business? Where had that come from? It wasn't so much the subject matter so much as the way the secretary had said it. Had something happened? Had he left his church duties unattended because of her? What if he had gone to join Riddick?

"I could give you his home phone and he should be back within the week."

Jack hated to push this but she couldn't risk going home if Imam was going to be there.

"Back?" Jack inquired as humanly polite as possible.

"Yes, him and a friend of his are apparently taking a trip somewhere in the New Vermont area-

NEW VERMONT! THAT'S WHERE JACK HAD BEEN! RIDDICK AND HIM BOTH WENT LOOKING FOR HER!

Now Jack really felt like shit.

"Miss? MISS?"

"Sorry, YES?" Jack hadn't realized she stopped listening.

"May I give Imam your name and number?"

"Sure just hold on one second," Jack said hanging up the phone. The line disconnected and she went to check boarding times for the next shuttle to New California. She would go home and stock up. Maybe even leave an apology note for being such a disruption. The one thing she knew now was that she couldn't face them. Not Imam or Riddick...

Running to the boarding schedule she saw that another ship was leaving for New California in 2 minutes if she ran she could make it.

Jack grinned in satisfaction. Perfect. With Imam gone and her being only a two day trip away from New California she could go home cook get cleaned up and be back out again before anyone was the wiser.

Hopping over people, bags, small children, and some odd substance that she didn't even want to try to identify Jack made it onto the ship with little difficulty. People were still boarding. Seeing the repair crew doing a routine check up Jack ran behind and hid behind the ramp door until the coast was clear seeing the men push off she silently crept back into the haul of the ship and settled herself in. Even down here she could hear the sound of the announcers above. It would be a sixteen hour flight at which point they would dock and re-charge the power cells. Than they would be taking off again.

16 HOURS LATER

Jack was sleeping dreaming. She was in the alley way again and Riddick was looking at her like she had stabbed him. They fought but every time she said something he started to bleed as if her words cut him. Finally he started bleeding so severely that he couldn't move and collapsed. Jack tried to help him, get too him, hell even apologize but there was some barrier keeping her from getting to him. Every time she would run too him she would bounce back. In one final attempt she tried running to him and fell standing up she realized she wasn't in the alley way anymore but on the planet. The monsters wail cut through the air and a chase gave way. Riddick wouldn't save her because he was angry at her and worse yet he couldn't save himself because he was injured from what she had said. He couldn't save himself and because of what she had done they were both going to die.

She woke up sweating and alone.

The ship docked and Jack snuck off again. She needed to get out and clear her head. A commercial ship this big would take a good hour to charge up especially after staying orbit for over 16 hours. She needed to get out she couldn't be left in the dark to think about the dream... to think about _him_.

Walking around their stop she realized she was in New Montana and couldn't wait to explore. She went around stealing random wallets. By the end of the half hour she had "earned" over $300- tourists always carried to much cash anyway. Nothing caught Jack's interest and she was about to re-board while the people were at a low when she noticed quite a nice place. Well actually it was a shit hole in the wall but it was nice because it was a bar and it would definitely give her alcohol. Walking in she decided she was definitely in need of something with a kick to it. Seating herself at the bar she ordered a double shot of the strongest Vodka.

That was when she saw him. Sitting in the corner of the bar swigging beer. _Riddick_.

Jack's first instinct was mixed impulse. She saw him sitting there facing the other direction and did the best to act casual. He didn't see her he was busy... Jack looked to see who he was talking too and found herself faced with a very big whore.

'Of all the god damned things.'

What the hell was he doing here? It's Riddick... does he even get drunk? _Can _he get drunk? How did he get here?

Realizing that Riddick must have caught the same ship as she, Jack tossed back the vodka and settled in to watch the show.

Riddick was drowsy. He wasn't particularly drunk just drowsy. The beer he was drinking felt good coursing over him and helping him to forget what Jack had said. He could feel her words leaving him- but he could still remember talking to her.

Why was that?

He DEFINITELY needed more alcohol.

The whore at his side provided for good distraction and he wondered if him and the whore would have enough time to find a bathroom and relive some of the tension he was feeling. He could feel said whores hand on his thigh squeezing. She wasn't a cheap whore but she wasn't overly expensive and from what he could see by looking at her she was worth her asking price. Long chestnut curls hanging in spirals down her back, trim figure clad in cloth pants that fit her like a second skin and a shirt that made her boobs come out and scream a big welcoming. That's when Riddick looked at her eyes. She had Jack's eyes. She wasn't suppose to have Jack's eyes. Maybe he would take them out later... nah he had to be on a ship soon... he would just have more beer. More beer was always good.

The whore whispered in his ear before drawing back with a devilish giggle... what had she said?

"C'mon sugar let's go back to my place and you can sleep it off," she said with a sleek black voice coaxing him.

"No time, I got a ship to be on. Can we settle for finding an alley way?"

"It's extra."

"Doesn't matter."

Jack saw it before she even realized what she was seeing. The whore rose first seemingly imploring Riddick to do the same. Of all the god dam ships leaving for New California why in the hell did he HAVE TO TAKE HER'S!!!

Some small part of Jack got amusement out of it all. They'd caught the same ship and that meant that someone somewhere was trying to throw them back together. Though the bigger part of Jack couldn't ignore the fact that if they were on the same ship they were both going back to New California. She had to stock up on supplies but she knew for Riddick to be going back it was because he was giving up on her.

She wouldn't have even pegged him as the guy to come after her in the first place, he was probably conned into it by Imam. Holy man or not, Imam could give you one hell of a guilt trip. Riddick probably took the whole thing as some big joke. Go look, don't find, oh well paid vacation. Look at him- already getting chummy with a whore and drinking. Well the hell with him, Jack didn't need him and she wasn't gonna hesitate to be on her own. Now she was free and clear. She didn't have to worry about anyone chasing after her trying to get her to go home.

This was all a good thing....

Though that still didn't explain the shitty feeling in the pit of stomach. Seeing the whore finally raise Riddick to his feet and starting to turn towards the door Jack made a hasty exit and headed back for the ship. With any luck he'd over sleep after fucking the bitch and she could go on the ship by herself.


	4. Chapter 4 Still Following Her

  
  
Riddick wound up with the whore pinned against a wall no more than five minutes after they left the bar. He wasn't drunk but the beer was playing with him. He leaned his body into the girls and felt her breasts against his chest. It was wrong that through the whole time he couldn't get that encounter with Jack out of his mind, but all he could think of was her. He was running from his own demons as it was, now he had the shits from that planet, Carolyn's sacrifice, and Jack's innocence all caught up in the balance of his homicidal rage.   
  
The whore pressed heated kisses along his neck and jaw line and it brought him out of his thoughts. In the distance of the city he could hear the sound of soaring ships above him from the air field. Wasn't he supposed to be on a ship? ...  
  
... more kissing...  
  
.... Definite groping...  
  
Ship? A ship? Where to?  
  
DAMN!  
  
Riddick hated to stop what he was doing but a look at his watch confirmed he barely had enough time to make it back to the ship port before they left. Finishing up what he was doing and wiping his hands as he ran, Riddick arrived just as the flight ramps were going up. Cursing himself he got in his seat and tried to look normal- whatever the fuck that was.Jack was sitting in the bottom of the ship trying to figure out how to get off the damn thing.

'For all the stupid places for this thing to dock! NEW MONTANA!'

She couldn't have stayed in New Montana because there weren't any flights leaving there. Only planes docked in the small hanger there from other airports- the docking port actually didn't own any other ships if you wanted to leave New Montana you needed to reserve a flight from one of the neighboring systems ships and catch it when it docked here. Only problem was that those flights meant she would have to pay- which was alright- but it also meant identification- something she just did not have.

'If I get off too late I'll get caught by the repair crew, if I get off too soon I can avoid them but than I'll probably run into Riddick.'

She would need to exit the ship before the supply crew came down and they usually did so almost immediately after docking. On the _other _hand if she got out **too soon** she risked getting caught by Riddick. He wouldn't want to remain seated and might possibly be the first man off the flight. In that case he was going to see her as soon as she was in the terminal. They very well might run into each other when they were leaving the docking station.  
  
Jack felt the ships pressure change and pretended, just for a minute, that it was someone hugging her and telling her that this shit didn't have to happen all the time and things would get better. When she opened her eyes she was met only with darkness. There was always the fleeting chance that Riddick was still back on that dump landing strip screwing his big bald brains out- but Jack was almost positive she could feel Riddick. His presence had become noticeable to her now. She fancied to think that maybe that was what drew her to that alley before they argued. Maybe she did feel him.  
  
God this was boring what was she supposed to do for the next 15 hours?  
  
Sleep was not something she wanted to do. Seeing as there was nothing better to do, Jack sat back and waited in darkness.Riddick sat in his cabin trying not to think about the last day. Instead he focused on the ship- He liked this ship better than the other one he'd taken when he was tracking Jack from the New Vermont Area to the Tangier System. This ship was much nicer. The seats weren't regular chairs like the last ship, this one was had a resting shaft. You pulled your body into an airlock container that was like a space version of a bunk bed. Riddick couldn't care less but he had to admit this one was more comfortable. He wondered if Jack had figured out that he'd been tracking her still. She probably thought he'd given up after the alley way incident in New Vermont.  
  
'Not likely Jack, sorry you're not getting off that easily'  
  
in actuality all the alley way did was piss him off. Fine if she thought she knew so much he would show her. Give her a little peak inside his head, and if she still wasn't convinced than he would just back off and give her some space. Riddick fully intended on giving her the space she needed...  
  
She could have all the space she liked while he dragged her _home_ by the short hairs on her head.

'Home'

Another thing struck him just than. He called it home. Did he really think of that small place he'd gotten with Imam and Jack as his home? He thought so...   
  
'It's the most you've ever had.'  
  
Still he didn't want Jack to have the life he had. Shit on a stick, running through the galaxy always looking over your shoulder and she was a 16 year old girl what could she do against such predators? His guess was if she could anything she wouldn't have been traveling as a guy. She'd practically broken down in sobs about it back on the planet as she said "so people wouldn't mess with me." What people? He'd fucking kill them.  
  
Especially if they got to her before he did. He had business to settle with her and no one was allowed to do anything to her until he got through chewing her out for what she said back in the alley way. NO One.  
  
Riddick laid back and let the slow hum of the ships engines lull him into a sense of fake security. Part of him wondered if he should go down and confront her right now or wait. It wasn't as if getting down to her would be easy right now. He didn't need to risk it, he knew where she was going.

'Very clever Jack- Go back home while everyone's out and stock up'

What was keeping her from settling down there? Hell he thought if he could do it than she had to be able to. He would think that of all people she would know he wasn't the best with verbalization but he never would have turned back and risked his life up against one of those things if he hadn't cared about her. Shit, now he needed to say it too?

Things would be a lot easier if he could just leave Imam to do his talking for him.

Imam was another thing he'd forgotten about. He'd insisted that he make the trip with Riddick. Even though he had told the Hoodoo holy man that if would go much faster if he went by himself- Imam wouldn't hear of it.  
  
Riddick hadn't had time to tell Imam about the abrupt flight change. After Jack had jumped the ship to the Tangier system Riddick didn't have much time to get him and go. Reaching in his pocket he pulled out a comm. link.  
  
After a few erratic beeps a signal started to come through  
  
"Hey Imam," Riddick spoke into it sending his message to the other comm. Link that Imam had with him back on New Vermont. Poor bastard hadn't heard from Riddick since than. He'd barely had time to radio out and say he was grabbing a plane to tail Jack.  
  
Static started to sizzle before the devout Priest's clear accented voice broke through, "Have you located her?"  
  
Silence as he waited for a reply. Riddick brought the comm. Link tied around his wrist back to his face and pressed the side switch to signal out.  
  
"Yea I'm fine no worries- I got her, tracked her all the way from New Vermont to the Tangier System, Now she's heading home."  
  
"Ah, so she's agreed to come back?"

"Not quite... look just try to get a ship to New California. Were docking in another 13 hours, Jack knows I'm on board but she doesn't get that I'm tracking her. She hasn't agreed to come back yet." He released the signaling button and waited.  
  
"I'll get a ship and meet you. We will talk shortly."  
  
Riddick put his wrist down satisfied now that Imam was up to date. He kept the com link on in case Imam wanted to contact him. 1 second later he did.  
  
"Oh and Mr. Riddick," his clear crisp voice penetrated Riddick's small cabin.  
  
"Yea Imam" he responded.  
  
"Try not to agitate her to the point of where she comes back... how would you say? Shiv Happy?"  
Riddick didn't know whether to be angry or to laugh.  
  
"No worries holy man she'll come back peachy keen and shiv-less," Riddick responded with a mixture of both.  
  
"Very good may Allah bless your journey."  
  
"uh-huh." This time Riddick clicked off his link and laid back to go to sleep.

Jack sat in the bowels of the ship drumming her fingers against the wall. At first it had been a way to pass the time but she had stopped after about the tenth time because it sounded too much like those creatures slowly tapping their claws up against the ships metal hull.

And as all of the greats in time do eventually do, Jack, sitting alone in the dark, resorted to talking to herself out of boredom.

'You could make up a song?'

'Yea my life is just a fucking musical'

'No seriously it could be a totally shitty song and the best part is no one would know because your talking to yourself you god damn weird ass'

'Yes but see I can't be weird no matter how hard I try because I just came off of a rock after living with Imam and Riddick. So weird would be a tiny understatement'

'Psst... your still talking to yourself'

Jack almost laughed at her own craziness but continued her fictional conversation.

'La la laa Your stuck in a ship... Riddick is a prick... and your pretending you have a dick... and that's my song la la'

Ok she sucked at composing wasn't that bad...

Jack, realizing the sad truth that she had no life, settled back to do some thinking. She really did like living with Imam. It wasn't like she was extremely keen on running. She just didn't want a routine life living in a house and going to school. She'd run away for a reason one that no one knew and one that she didn't want anyone to find out about, and she intended to see too it that no one did. Even before that though she always wanted to see the galaxy and travel; she couldn't do a lot of those things when she was living with two guys and of all guys Riddick and Imam.  
She couldn't stay she just couldn't. When she was there everything was good but Imam was at work and than that left her and Riddick alone for the first few hours before school started. She hadn't gotten used to getting a full eight hours of sleep again yet. Most days she'd wake up before her alarm went off and be up from 4 am until after school then she would crash sometimes if she were tired enough. She remembered one time...


	5. Chapter 5 Finl Destination

Ok a few things about this chapter and where this story is going. I'm doing a small trilogy- A SMALL ONE. Five chaps each story and two more coming out. This is the last chapter for this story but I'll be publishing two more short stories that are looped together with this story. Any confusion just e-mail me: 

What I'm doing here is explaining where some of Jack's rage from the Alley way came from. I also think it's crucial that I separate Jack and Riddick for a while because I want this to be a J/R pairing but I haven't decided yet. I can't pair him up with her when she's this young and I need her to get away from Riddick so she can realize who she is as a person. The Jack from the movie is way too dependent on Riddick's character- I wanna see where she can go as far as a character when she's on her own. My one goal though is too make sure I don't go all OOC on this- I want to keep it on a real level- keep the reviews going and lemme know how I do. Thanx to Arche De katze,Kayla McGowan, ElleloveMax, Zachery Faelan, & Dazzler420- I thrive on reviews so I really appreciate your input. Anyway e-mail me any questions and what not and enjoy!

She'd remembered one time...

HAZY FLASHBACK SCENE

Jack was really late and she knew it. Not the usual few minutes late but extremely late. Sine their new living arrangement had panned out things had been chaotic. Imam went to church at around 3 in the afternoon and stayed their. He worked their until around 11. Long hours for a holy man but he was one of the few and genuine workers there. Plus he had the worse shift. He could have gotten something during the day but Imam had said that he wanted to be their to make sure Jack went off to school.

Another added problem- School. Every morning Jack would get up and leave for school. She would get home at 2:30 and sometimes be in time to see Imam leave for the church. He would be home by eleven and she wouldn't be asleep until twelve. She wouldn't go to sleep until she heard Riddick come in. He needed very little sleep and would come in at one in the morning only to be back out the next morning at six. She didn't know how he did that. They usually all wound up eating breakfast though, Imam was very early to rise up at five every morning and Jack, although she needed it, couldn't bring herself too sleep.

A full eight hours of sleep just didn't work for her. She sleep only when exhaustion drove her too it. Four hours here, cat naps there. It was the only thing that made sense for her. The week before Jack ran away Imam had a retreat and had been gone already one day. He would be back in another two nights but Jack still couldn't help but marvel at the awkwardness that was released upon Imam's departure. She couldn't even fathom the idea of being in the same room as Riddick without Imam there as an ice breaker. She wasn't scared of him; she was just scared of what it would be like just the two of them. Excited, yes definitely time alone with the most awesome person in the universe, but still the person who looked at her like a baby and had saved her ass once and probably didn't want to be reminded of that incident. She didn't want him seeing her as the one who always needed saving. She definitely didn't want him thinking she was the little girl badly always looking up to him.

Thoughts of how he would react to her coming home so late raced through her head. She really didn't feel like getting chewed out by an ex- con.

'He might not be home yet' a hopeful voice quirked in the back of her head.

She squashed it quick. It was already two AM and Riddick walked in the door between 1 and 1 thirty every night- him being home any later would only mean he stopped off for a quick fuck with one of the planets many whores and sluts.

After school, even though Imam had always entrusted her to go straight home and warned her about staying out late, Jack was free again for two days and intended to use it wisely. After a small set back after school- fucking detention- she cursed it. Who cares if she hit some punk kid? Just because his parents were wealthy colonists. He had no right calling her shit and he deserved the broken nose he'd gotten. She still chuckled at the memory.

Jack was running now hoping she wouldn't be in trouble. A small pang of sadness shot through her and she realized even though Imam was gone Riddick probably wasn't going to care she was out. Sure he might comment on it being dumb to have been so far away so late but he wouldn't care about her personal life. It made her happy that she wasn't gonna get chewed out but still... some small part of her knew he didn't give a shit. Another part of her wanted to get home and be proven wrong- not that she would even admit it. Rounding the corner her mind swept over the day's events.

Detention had detained her until late; she didn't get to leave until five o'clock... She was receiving lectures and being held for unneeded violence. It was either one full day of in school suspension or this long ass one at the end of the day. She decided she would do the detention but not go to school the next day. They could all kiss her ass. After she'd finally gotten out some of the nicer kids had still been around doing god knows what outside- who would think to hang out near a school; cops didn't go by them at night so it was the best place to be apparently. A lot of kids hadn't liked the kid she'd punched and commended her inviting her to hang out with them. They did a whole bunch of shit nothing overly bad. She hadn't even realized what time it was until they passed the mining station where Riddick worked. Seeing it closed and abandoned jogged her awareness of time. She said her good byes and began running home.

JACK POV

I finally reached the door and couldn't believe how late it was. Riddick better be asleep. When I walked in I heard nothing at first and everything was darkness. I had been feeling as if I were dead weight and maybe staying out was a small way of asking to be told otherwise. I knew that if Riddick said absolutely anything too me that it meant he gave a shit. He may have saved me on the planet but something told me he was battling his own personal demons at the time. Saving me didn't mean he cared it only meant he'd fulfilled certain obligations to the so called human race.

It was during my analysis of his saving me that I started to hear _them-_the noises. Soft at first and subtle- what the hell? I stepped cautiously through the darkness. I could hear more now. Moaning and creaking.

'Oh you aren't fucking serious-

Oh yea, that was definitely grunting.

"God yes, oh god."

'Oh GOD- I felt sick. He was fucking some bitch! IT OUR PLACE! Ok Maybe it was Imam's and mine and his but ... ok maybe it was more his because I didn't actually pay any bills but- GROSS! WHAT THE FUCK! The only thing I wanted to do was go in there with a hose but I was just too shocked to move. After a couple of minutes the stupid whore climaxed and I sat there hearing the whole thing. Ok I needed to not be hearing this anymore. I quickly ran into my room and slammed the door- definitely not the least bit concerned with weather I disturbed the 'happy horny couple' or not. I was very VERY fucking regretful to discover that the walls in our apartment were a far cry from thick. In fact I think I could hear them better from my bedroom.

I reviewed my options. Go in there and kill them... correction go in there and kill _her_. Of all people why did he have to bring home a moan-?

"OH GOD!" The stupid bitch's voice came flying into my room. Rage took me for just a moment.

"KEEP IT DOWN IN THERE SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!" I said banging on the wall. I doubted they heard me with the way banshee girl was crying out but they weren't so bad after that. Not that I got any sleep AT ALL that night. I think I dosed off in my clothes for about thirty minutes and when I woke up there was dead silence.

Getting up I assumed the love shack duo were sleeping and proceeded to change into more suitable attire. A tank top and a pair of pajama bottoms. One good thing about being in this place with Imam and Riddick was I got to act like a girl again- shaved head aside. Now I'm a smart little cross dresser and I usually never have moments of idiocy... well usually never, whatever all I knew was right now wasn't one of those times.

Four thirty in the morning alls quiet is should be safe too go outside- right? RIGHT? WRONG!

Walking carefully out into the hall I ventured a glance around. Dark as hell and twice as gloomy. I still couldn't believe he brought some bitch home to screw. Some random girl. It was more than that though... he hadn't even noticed how late I'd come in. I'd come in at 2 am for shit's sake. Meaning between the hours of three in the afternoon and two in the morning my whereabouts had been unknown. Had he even noticed?

'Yea Jack you stupid ass he came in too your room so he could tuck you in'

I padded over to the kitchen and began to look for something for the pounding in me head. I think it was the sound of the headboard- it was still ringing in my ears. Stupid jerk. Wait til I saw him- he though that bitch was loud I'll give him something to cover his ears for- I'll make his god damned ears bleed. Stupid arrogant horny little mother fu-

"Lights 40"

A voice in the darkness called out and I looked up a little shocked. What the fuck was this? He just sat around in the dark now?

We locked eyes and I gave him the most betrayed and spiteful look I could muster. It didn't do anything but it was there. Lurking.

He spoke first:

"It's late."

His raspy voice broke the silence between us and I could already feel those pesky female hormones bubbling up and asking so nicely if I could beat him brainless... well more brainless than he was.

"Look who can tell time all of a sudden."

If my sarcasm was a surprise to him he didn't act it.

"Aren't you suppose to be sleeping little girl," he threw my title at my like a joke because he knew that's what I was and I knew it too. But fuck him if he thought he was gonna chomp me down. I wasn't wrong.

"Yea well some fucking whore kept me up- I guess murders can't buy them quite anymore-huh?"

Ok now that was a good insult I almost grinned I was so proud of myself. Even if his pace remained passive I knew I scored a point.

"She wasn't bought-

"And I wasn't asking for details." Forfeiting my search for the pain killers I turned my head to go. No use in staying her talking to the human wall. He waited until I was about to close my door before calling out again.

"Don't do it again" was what his hard voice called out to me.

"DO what?"

"Interrupt."

I knew at that moment that I should go in my room and go to bed. I knew I should. I knew that anyone who was sharing an apartment with a well known killer who was in an apartment by themselves with no witnesses save the whore who was still probably sleeping in the bedroom- shouldn't pick a fight. I knew that much. The little voice in my head was saying: Screw it he's a jerk and now you know his true nature cut you're loses and try to get some sleep.

Instinct was screaming: Killer angry grumpy killer who's aggressive and pissed that you interrupted his fucking session and insulted him. LARGE BALD MAN WITH SHIV!

I could have listened sure... but than I stopped and let the words coming to me from my PMSing side speak and they only had one tiny message to relay: Cut it off and watch him suffer.

Guess which one I listened too.

"INTERRUPT?" I spun on my heel and there was fury in my voice echoing with resentment, "Interrupt? How pray tell DID I FUCKING INTERRUPT!" I only let my voice level rise a little bit. It wasn't time for hard core dramatics- not yet.

His eerie calm was making me madder- not that I could explain that mind you but it was. Why wasn't he at least getting mad or doing... SOMETHING

"She left didn't she?"

"This is bad because...? Oh I'm sorry did you pay for the full night? Didn't mean to make you lose your money."

Now he stood slowly and intimidating testing how far I would take it with a very powerful battle stance.

"She was not paid for so stop fucking saying it."

Again with the eerie calm thing.

"Your right, she wasn't paid for..." I looked down as if I intended to relent...

"You probably fucking drugged her like the sick fucking rapist you are!"

I looked up at him throwing my words at him like shivs.

A roar of aggression was let loose and before I knew what was happening I was up against a wall. He made a fist and I could tell he was barely holding out.

What's that thing they say? Don't play with the lions at the zoo?

"Let me fucking go!" I said squirming in his grip.

All I saw was his first coming at me and than darkness as I shut my eyes preparing to be hit.

He hit the wall next to my head sending his fist clear through the plaster realizing me with his other hand and dropping me to the floor.

Even though I scurried to my room I still had time to mutter a very audible asshole.

I left the next day

The automatic pilot voice came on and Jack could hear it even from where she was sitting in the bowels of the ship.

"DOCKING DOCKING. PLEASE REMAIN IN YOUR CABIN'S UNTIL AFTER LANDING PLEASE REMAIN..."

The Voice trailed off as Jack thought back to her previous thoughts. Jack didn't get it. She'd boarded a ship from the New Vermont area and it was just some random ship on its way to the Tangier System... the only reason she'd jumped on it was to get away from Riddick after the alley incident. From there she called inquiring about Imam and decided to head back to New California. How did Riddick and her wind up on the same ship? Was he still tracking her?

'No that's impossible; he wouldn't waste the effort...

'Still he did come to get you back on that wasteland winter land joke of a planet.'

Jack gathered her belongings and waiting until she felt the ship settling in. She could hear the scurrying passengers above her moving about trying to get out.

'God please don't let me run into Riddick- please' she bit her anxious lip and began to unlatch the emergency docking hatch. It wasn't supposed to be their but really old models had them. A way of dumping dangerous chemicals out if need be. She positioned herself at the mouth and let her body drop down the chute. If she were any bigger this wouldn't be possible. Going through the dark tunnel wasn't fun but landing on solid ground away from all the other passengers was.

'YES!' Jack's joy was barely maintained as she looked up too see they were doing a standard security check. Just making sure everyone was ok and no threats they had over looked.

'Will Riddick be ok?'

DUH! Of course he would be it was Riddick. Grabbing her gear Jack took one final look at the ship before running like hell towards their place.


	6. Chapter 6 Guilt

**A/N: **Hi everyone! It's been a really long time since I tried updating this but we can all thank TNT for showing repeats of Chronicles of Riddick, because it really inspired me to get back into the mindset, so here we go. Now, I know ages ago I said I was going to do like three short stories for this piece, but I kind of decided against it, what I figured was I'd just finish writing this story. I think I already have enough brainstorming going on for another three chapters. Criticism is very much welcomed and I hope you enjoy.

Also, I hope everyone say that Dark Fury thing, the animated business between Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick. It's on youtube in case you don't know what I'm talking about but it's worth watching. Hard to enjoy because the cartoon does the beautiful Vin Diesel no justice but it uses all the origin voice parts from Pitch Black (including Rhinna G for Jack) and spoiler here: Jack basically kills someone to save Riddick and I just have to write it in because it really does shape up the whole Riddick Jack business. Anyway Enjoy, its on under Dark Fury-seperated in four parts!

Jack sighed running down the sunny streets of New California. Although technically it was winter in New California the temperature was still a pleasant 70 degrees- during the night! Jack reveled as the luke-warm air hit her arms and engulfed her. After the frozen weeks she'd spent in New Vermont she couldn't help but appreciate her warm surroundings. Jack knew this was no time to get sidetracked by the nice weather and hauled ass trying to beat Riddick to the apartment. She didn't know what was going on between Riddick and Imam, but she knew Riddick was definitely on the ship. Jack frowned as she ran, passing by the familiar sights of her latest runway zone. She passed the school she attended for a whole whopping three months, it dawned on her she'd never really given this place a chance.

She tried to shake off thoughts along those lines and tried to come up with a plan. She knew for certain that Riddick had been on the ship with her back to New California, but where was Imam? She hadn't actually realized it until this moment, but Jack had never laid eyes on Imam. Did this mean that while Riddick had turned tail and headed home that Imam had remained searching for her? Jack shook that thought off, what would be the point in coming home alone? Whatever leverage Imam had used to convince Riddick to go looking for Jack in the first place was obviously still available for Imam to throw in Riddick's face again, so why would he quite without bringing Imam back? She thought it over and realized she had seen Riddick at the bar and not Imam. The only reason any of it mattered was because she wasn't about to go through the trouble of avoiding Riddick just so she could get caught by Imam later. Jack was closer now, nearly a block away from the apartment she shared with Imam and Riddick.

Jack stopped running for a moment to catch her breath and organize her thoughts. If Imam wasn't back yet, then the only place he could be was in New Vermont. Riddick might actually have left without saying anything…in an attempt to avoid….a guilt trip? Yep, she thought, good ol' dependable run away Riddick. Jack felt a rush of pride as she realized they were both runners, although she already knew that to be true it was nice to come across factual evidence anyway. Okay, so the things she knew for certain were that Riddick was on his way home from the airport right now.

Jack stole a glance at the mini-chrone she wore on her wrist, the time was earlier than she'd expected. After spending a few weeks on New Vermont she'd almost forgotten about the time change. Either way the sun had already begun to set and as soon as it was dark out Riddick was due at work. Would he go? Jack didn't know, but she knew she wanted to the time to appreciate all the modern conveniences that the apartment had to offer and she simply couldn't do that when she was worrying about facing Riddick again.

She formed a plan. Quickly, and somewhat awkwardly as she had stopped all motion, Jack began running again towards the apartment building. When she arrived she quickly took a look around to see where would be a good spot to set up shop. She settled for a nearby crooked alley somewhat across the street from their place.

'Perfect' she thought smiling to herself.

The plan was to wait. Simply to wait. Covered in darkness she felt confident that Riddick wouldn't see her as long as she stayed hidden, she grinned seeing the dumpster conveniently located at the far end of the alley. She just needed to wait for Riddick to come back. If Imam was with Riddick then she would see him enter the building. Even if Riddick came alone, then that meant Imam wasn't back from New Vermont yet and she only had to wait until Riddick went to work. Riddick may have been a convict but he did like money, hence why he spent so much time in the mining colony, he preferred spending time making money which was useful to him, as opposed to talking to actual other humans like herself and Imam. Jack found herself standing in a darken alley frowning to herself, would it be such a problem for him to open up just a little bit? Why had he even bothered saving her in the first place if it was such a problem for him? Jack thought it over as she stood there against the ball peeking out from behind the dumpster. Judging by the actions of the man she met on that god forsaken hell-hole, compared to the actions of the man she'd shared an apartment with for the last few months, you would never know they were the same person. At times Riddick genuinely appeared to "give a shit" as he'd like to call it, but the rest of the time, well Jack had learned you were better off just not needed anything from him. Even conversations were off limit lately. Thinking all of this made her angrier which only caused her to get all the more fidgety but she didn't have long to wait. Just when Jack could feel the pesky presence of impatience getting the better of her, she saw it. 

It could only have been about ten to fifteen minutes after Jack had arrived and hidden herself behind the dumpster.

At first all she saw was the cab. It pulled up out of nowhere, surprising Jack. Whoever was in it was getting out on the passenger side, and all Jack could see was the driver, who even from here, she could tell, looked slightly nervous. That was the first clue that it was Riddick's cab, it wasn't until she heard the cab door open, and saw thick black boots hit the tar under the cab that Jack realized. She wasn't even slightly surprised to see his big bald head come into view. She smiled to herself ducking down until only her eyes were visible peering over the dumpster. In the darkness of the alley she was totally hidden, but that wasn't any good against someone who could see in the dark. She was relieved when Riddick headed up the stoop without giving her hiding spot a backward glance. Jack sighed, tough part accomplished. Riddick was inside, and he hadn't arrived with Imam. Only thing left to now was to wait for him to come out again.

Riddick clunked up the stairs on the well worn stairwell heading to the apartment, their apartment. He chuckled to himself as he thought about Jack. He'd seen her, as he'd pulled up in the cab, he was looking out the window, he'd been sitting behind the driver, explaining to the man in a very casual manner that he'd heard about a lot of taxi drivers going missing lately because now a days the taxi driver could never tell who was going to get into his car. What with the ruthless nature of people today it was just easier to kill a lowly taxi driver than to pay a high fare. Granted, at the time of this little talk Riddick had been playing with his shiv, running it up and down the seat of the driver, making marks in the material. He had even gone as far as to take off his goggles, ironically he thought the shine job scared the man more than his knife did. Riddick bit back the smile that was dying to break free and he didn't know what it was but the driver didn't make him pay when he got out of the car and Riddick didn't ask questions. Merely thanked the man, which actually surprised the both of them and got out.

Jackie was waiting for him to leave, that much he knew. He was debating with himself. Struggling with his inner-self, the violent self, the self who would have made the taxi driver pee his pants. His inner voice was screaming at him to confront Jack, to make her take back every bit of bullshit she'd said on that planet. He wanted to hurt her the way she had hurt him. She didn't know about the thoughts that plagued him, she couldn't know how much he actually did give a flying fuck about her. She didn't know how much it actually bothered him that before he knew her on that planet, truly knew her, he would have left. Without her, without anybody. Did she even have the slightest idea of how hard it was to cause a man like Riddick to feel remorse? 

He had killed hundreds of people, maybe more than that in the excuse to secure his freedom, to stay alive a little bit longer. Hell, if it came down to it he'd kill a million more for that same reason. Back on that planet the only thing he'd ever been concerned with was saving himself, and this little girl actually made Riddick feel something he hadn't even conceived of in nearly a decade. _Guilt_. He had saved her and in doing so he had saved a part of himself. At the time he couldn't have known the effect that doing a good deed would have on him. It did have an effect though, and she was to blame!

Riddick opened the fridge, retrieving a beer. The holy man highly objected to him keeping alcohol in the house. It was apparently not only against his religion and therefore sacrilegious to drink in front of him but he was also worried about Riddick setting a bad example for Jack. He chuckled darkly to himself as he thought that over, a bad example for Jack, like there was any such thing. Riddick didn't know much about parenting and he didn't claim to, but he was pretty sure that once you had killed someone a beer probably wasn't gonna hurt.

Riddick still remembered the events on the first ship to pick them up after they'd escaped that Alien Hellhole. He still remembered the look of quite fear mingling with surprise on Jacks face after she pulled the trigger. It would have been nothing short of a lie to say that Riddick had never observed death before. On the contrary he lived his life fully submerged in death. In truth there were few dark things in this world that Riddick wasn't fully aware of, things he'd already become 'acquainted' with either in slam or through personal experience. One thing he had been unfamiliar with though, something that Jack had held a heavy hand in introducing him to, was shock. The element of surprise; he'd used it to his advantage before, sneaking around in the dark, slitting throats before people had a chance to realize who was behind them, stealth came naturally to him. Never though had he been on the receiving end of surprise, never had he been the one to let _it _sneak up on _him. _Surprise was the sworn enemy of any wanted convict, in any shape or form, even in the slightest it was enough to get any unsuspecting convict killed. Whether it be in jail or just hiding out any kind of surprise tended to be your enemy and Riddick aimed to know his enemy. It had been, in earnest, probably about half a decade since anyone had honestly given Riddick a good surprise. The last time he could clearly remember being surprised in any way was when he'd found out from the Doctor at Butcher Bay that there actually was a way to make a man see in the dark…thinking back on it Riddick had to say that even that 'surprise' had brought with it a great amount of pain. It was the only helpful surprise he'd ever gotten in his life.

By this time Riddick had seated himself on the couch in the living room, sinking into the plushy material and relaxing a bit, as much as he ever could relax. He and his beer were enjoying their gloomy trip down memory lane and as he chugged back another bitter swig of 

the amber liquid he realized, that the surgical shine job on his eyeballs was not the only helpful surprise he'd ever received in his life. No, the second time was Jack, when she'd shot Chillingsworth.

"When she killed for me."

He wasn't speaking to anyone unparticular, just aloud to himself. The words were more real when he verbalized them. He still found it hard to believe, like he said he wasn't easily shocked. In that moment when he'd seen that evil bitch fall at his feet, he'd fully turned around expecting to see Imam holding the gun. After all, Imam was much older than her, he was a grown man. Even as he'd hoped though, honest to god-be it his or the Holy Man's- hoped that Imam had pulled that trigger he'd known somewhere, deep down, that it had been Jack. With less than a little bitterness he thought to himself, who else would have gone through the trouble?

Riddick had been through worse shit at an earlier age, had seen unspeakable things. He couldn't even match up his first murder with his age anymore but he knew one thing for certain. He didn't want Jack to live that life, not if she didn't have to. He wanted Jack to have a choice, and he didn't mind doing stupid shit like working 40 hours in a mining colony if it helped to give her that choice. Riddick sipped his beer some more, frowning when he saw he'd drank nearly the whole bottle. He'd have to get another one. He savored the last full cold sip, swishing it around before he swallowed with a satisfied exhale.

The problem was she didn't want the option. Riddick didn't know what Jack had gone through in her life, he in truth, didn't want to know because in his personal opinion he cared about her far too much already. He wasn't supposed to care about anyone at all, so the fact that Jack even mattered a fraction of a bit was too much, and she mattered so much more than that!

Riddick slammed the glass bottle down on the table next to him.

What the fuck was a convict suppose to do?

He sighed then, rubbing his hand over his face and back over his bald scalp again bringing it around to rest on the back of his neck. He remembered all too well on that shit hole of a planet being asked by Caroline if he wanted to rejoin the human race. He remembered what he'd told her, about not knowing how. IF someone at that moment had chosen to stop time, step him aside and explain to him in a few months he'd be living with a sixteen year old girl and a son of Allah followe while working as miner in virtually a HUGE underground cave, Riddick would have literally grinned at them before cheerfully stabbing them to death. He hadn't been lying to Caroline when he'd told her that he didn't know how to rejoin the human 

race and he knew that the amount of time he spent working at the mining colony was more for his benefit than anyone else's, and more for his sanity than for his bank account. What the hell was he suppose to talk about with a sixteen year old kid and a hoo-doo holy man. What was he even suppose to say to these people? They all respected each other, whether that came from admiration on Jacks part or genuine fear on Imam's he didn't know.

He knew Jack respected him, but he suspected it had more to do with her being an adoring fan than anything else. Just like he knew Imam respected him but he suspected it had more to with fear than anything else. He knew there was a third option, he cringed at it, shied away from it because the chances of it being a reality were so slim that he didn't quite want to accept it.

"Gratitude."

Speaking to himself again, it was never a good sign. HE supposed that a more rational explanation for the reason why Imam and Jack both respected him was because they were gracious. They were actually thankful for the fact that Riddick had saved them from the cave he'd abandoned them in, that he'd actually helped them through the cannon and piloted them off that rock from hell. No one in Richard B. Riddick's life had ever been grateful to him, had ever showed him gratitude. Imam was a grown man, despite being a good man there was no reason, not even his concerns for Jacks well being, that he couldn't have left at any time and secured a dwelling of his own. Imam after all had had money before his disastrous expedition on the Hunter-Gratzner. Especially here in New California where the planet's plates were a little unsettled Imam could easily have picked up property like a house if he wanted. Somehow though Riddick's little psycho fuck family refused to disburse. Refused to give the convict the room he so desperately needed. He had faced down triple max slams, mercs, ruthless killers and fellow inmates, even the debauchery of his own eyeballs. Nothing however, unnerved him more than the sixteen year old girl he knew was waiting downstairs across the street.

Riddick had a faint idea.


	7. Chapter 7 Riddick Remember's

**A/N: ** Hi guys! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. I'm actually really happy because a couple of people have added this story to their alert list- thank you- but I'd like to add I really thrive on reviews, I'm not going to harp though because it's been about a solid 2 years I think since I reviewed anything, but I totally thrive on them and if anyone doesn't mind I'd really appreciate it.

**IMPORTANT PART: **Also, my apologies, this chapter took me by surprise I really got into Riddick's character and although I didn't expect it this is mostly a chapter of Riddick's thoughts. The next chapter is a flashback and that one has a lot of Jack/Riddick in it but I originally had it as a one chapter and it was just too long 14 pages plus. And I hadn't even added my Riddick Jack yet, so I cut them in half. This is the first half and the second half will go up as chapter 8. I'd just like to thank everyone for their patience, oh but Riddick does do some heavy Jack thinking in this.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, not Jack, Riddick, or any of the other characters, but if I thought for five seconds that I could get Vin Diesel….I'd break the law trying ; )

**SPECIAL THANKS: **I will literally never do this again, it is very not my style to publically address reviewers unless they totally helped me over a hurdle, hence this. To the darling Katy23 and Lilianrose4, I would like to leave the following message.

To the ever faithful Katy23, you are the first person to review this story in a very long time, despite the fact that my last update at the time of your review was four years prior, your review encouraged me more than you know, thank you very much for taking the time, it was greatly appreciated.

To my dear Lilianrose4, I am especially indebted to you. You are the only person who reviewed this chapter! While I don't expect constant reviews all the time your review was extremely special because I haven't updated this story in so long and I wasn't sure how my writing from four years ago was going to mingle with my writing of the present date. Thank you dear, if Katy gave me the encouragement to begin again then you certainly gave me the courage to continue.

Both of your reviews really meant a lot to me :hands out cookies:

NOW, on with the show!

Speaking to him-self again, it was never a good sign. HE supposed that a more rational explanation for the reason why Imam and Jack both respected him was because they were gracious. They were actually thankful for the fact that Riddick had saved them from the cave he'd abandoned them in, that he'd actually helped them through the cannon and piloted them off that rock from hell. No one in Richard B. Riddick's life had ever been grateful to him, had ever showed him gratitude. Imam was a grown man, despite being a good man there was no reason, not even his concerns for Jacks well being, that he couldn't have left at any time and secured a dwelling of his own. Imam after all had had money before his disastrous expedition on the Hunter-Grazner. Especially here in New California where the planet's plates were a little unsettled Imam could easily have picked up property like a house if he wanted. Somehow though Riddick's little psycho fuck family refused to disburse. Refused to give the convict the room he so desperately needed. He had faced down triple max slams, mercs, ruthless killers and fellow inmates, even the debauchery of his own eyeballs. Nothing however, unnerved him more than the sixteen year old girl he knew was waiting downstairs across the street.

Riddick had a faint idea.

A fresh idea washed over Riddick and he sighed contently allowing the details to play out in his mind. This shit needed to be finished with once and for all, Riddick wasn't about to keep chasing down Jack every time she got the idea through that thick little skull of hers that she didn't belong. Riddick knew the lure of running, of escaping what you couldn't handle, he would never chastise her for not knowing what the right decision was, but if she ran again, he'd accept her choice. He briefly struggled against the idea that her decision to run bothered him, how was he suppose to accept her choice when what she chose put her in danger? More to the point why couldn't he bring himself to not care? He sighed; the whole thing really bothered him.

Riddick's problems aside with Jack's choices and his concern for her, he knew the major issue was that he had to prove to her that she mattered, even a little bit, even at all. He carefully threw himself into his memories of the last few months on New Earth, New California. He tried to think over to himself what exactly could be done to prove it to Jack.

FLASHBACK

Riddick had been working nearly sixty hour weeks. Three day cycle shift, to ward off predictability. The first three days of the week, every Monday Tuesday and Wednesday Riddick would work from dusk till dawn. Coming home at five am he would _rest, _never sleep, just _rest _in his bed for two hours.

By seven am he'd sit in his bed listening to the sounds of Imam making breakfast, smell the eggs or bacon and inhale the rich scent of coffee. He'd listen to them sit at the table talking, listen to them get ready for their respective days. Sometimes when the beast was well caged, and only the man was left inside of him weary and hollow seeking companionship he would find himself leaving his room and walking to sit at the table with them. To listen to them speaking up close, to feel less like the observer and more like the welcomed guess. Riddick was no one's guess he was last on the list of every social engagement, no one invited the god damned killer's to dinner. He would sit with them, silently acknowledging their presence, enjoying the comforting texture of their voices. On occasion he'd even walked Jack to school. She had loved that.

The other three days of the week he'd work completely different hours. He'd leave in the early afternoon, he'd make sure Jack was home from school, something he knew she wasn't aware of, and once she was safely inside he'd head off to work. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday he'd only work from three o'clock in the afternoon until one in the morning. He only worked ten hour shifts on these days, it was his leisure time.

He was almost never home in the apartment. He just couldn't stand the idea of closer human proximity. Little things were starting to seriously irk him, evidence of his existence, the sights and sounds of others constantly present. When he was home in the mornings, he'd get up to use the bathroom. Now anytime Richard B. Riddick went anywhere, regardless of whether it was willingly or forced by mercs and prison guards, he kept his senses open. He would scan any area he entered within five minutes, would cover all bases to make sure it was safe, or at least to safeguard against his dreaded enemy, Surprise. Whenever he walked into the bathroom, he'd see his toothbrush sitting on the counter, evidence that he would return here daily. He'd notice the scent of Imam's cologne in the bathroom; smell Jacks fruity body wash wafting out of the shower, signs of other humans, and signs of his…his what? His companions? Is that what they were? The whole thing felt strange, he didn't like this feeling, it was new and unsettling. Having the sense of others moving around you all the time, sharing something with other people. He didn't like it at all and the harder he tried to escape it the worse it became. Sometimes it felt as if they'd purposely left evidence of themselves lying around, no matter what room, just too seriously annoy him.

Imam's religious pamphlets left out on the kitchen table, Jack's cereal bowl always in the sink always every morning like clockwork. She almost never washed it until she got home. The coffee cups Imam would use and leave, sometimes the cups Jack would leave behind, headbands she'd wear and leave on the couch. Even his god damned toolbox! Riddick didn't know when she'd done it but Jack had put a sticker on the bottom corner of it, a bright splash of color to the normally muted grey box. It was the word _Badass_ only surrounded by dark 

flames, at the time he had chuckled slightly seeing it there. From then on though, he'd kept his toolbox locked in his room with him. They were everywhere! Signs of human inhabitance, how did regular people deal with this?

It was the reason he began spending as much time as he did down at the mining colony. He did not want to be around anymore for this signs of life show. In truth it wasn't just learning about cooperation and compromise that bugged the shit out of him, it was the _feelings_ which accompanied said actions. Above all the odds, against anything that even portrayed Riddick as the man he was to be, he dealt with it. He'd run in the same way Jack had run, he'd retreated into the confines of work where it was safe and dark away from the lights and everything he hated. However, he did learn to accept one thing, however much it pissed him off. He accepted the fact that he cared about these people. He accepted the fact that Jack and Imam actually meant something to him and by actually having accumulated any value at all he accepted the fact that he did indeed have a heart, and reckoned by that alone that he was somehow, some part of him, still human.

Being human wasn't so bad, he thought. It even allowed him the calm he needed to deal with the signs of life around the apartment that irked him so much. It didn't however prepare him for the one emotion he had been biting against for months.

Concern.

For Jack.

Concern, for Jack. Someone he was in no way responsible for, at all. FUCK why could he not grasp that?

The weeks and months passed by as they lived together. They'd been at it for three months now and as much time as Riddick spent out of the apartment he'd spent that much time pondering over his relationship with both the hoo-doo holy man and his little look-alike Jack. He was grateful that there was another grown man in this universe who Riddick had the pleasure of calling friend, someone he could trust. One was a sad and lonely number but it beat zero by a mile. He did not worry himself over Imam's safety though. All of his strength for the demon called concern was reserved for Jack, and the demon plagued him constantly. In fact the more time that went by the stronger the _demon_ seemed to become. Was this what it felt like to give a shit?

Eventually, and against his better judgment, Riddick accepted it. He hated that he accepted it, it enraged him! He tried to reason himself against it, after-all no one else cared about Jack why did he have to? Some sort of long ago silenced voice told him pleadingly, that the fact that Jack had no one was the Exact reason why he _had_ to care for her. Besides Imam 

the kid was on her own. How he loathed emotion though, the constant worry, the overzealous speculation, where was she, how was she, did she need anything? Some days he wondered if there was any way in hell he could possibly be concerned with something else less meaningful, like had Jack arrived at school all right, or something equally trivial. As if the demon was personally feeding Riddick's aggravation, by the end of the day Riddick would have some new retarded question that was causing him to worry, something really stupid like, who did she hang out with? Were they safe? How well did she really know how to take care of herself? The list went on. In truth though, Riddick was learning, in his ex-convict opinion, how to handle it pretty well. He had walked her to school, just to scope out the place; he was relieved to find out that she was attending a school very close to the mining colony. It made him happy to know that whether he be in the apartment or the colony that he'd be close to her, just in case. To his chagrin that little fact seemed to satisfy the demon known as concern. This rejoining the human race crap was really starting to piss him off.

In truth though Riddick considered him-self extremely lucky; Jack was a great kid, she hardly gave him anything to worry over. He didn't worry about normal things like the fact that she was fascinated with knives, guns and anything else she could get her hands on. It didn't bother him in the least that she wanted find out how to kill someone without them ever knowing that you were behind them, or about what Slam was like and what were the best survival tactics he could teach her, it made him extremely proud when she asked him to teach her how to fight. No, he didn't worry over her obvious attraction to kills, thrills and violence. That was what Imam was for.

Jack always made her whereabouts known, which in Riddick's opinion, was a necessity. She was always home right after school, her homework was always mostly done right after dinner and the few times she would go out she never went far. She really didn't know many people on this planet yet and the only people she'd ever officially hung out with were kids around the building. She was never far and it was slowly helping Riddick to adjust to this concern crap, slowly helping him to take reign over the influence it had on him.

Which is when everything fell to shit. Riddick could still remember with painful clarity the night that Jack had come home to find him with the neighborhood whore, a woman who actually lived upstairs from them. He cringed at the memory, wondered if Jack knew the real reasons he had needed relief that night. It was the night she'd gone missing for 12 solid hours, the night she'd walked in at 2 in the fucking morning as if it was nothing. He remembered all too well the effect her disappearance had on the so called hardened convict. Riddick couldn't help but think that the encounter they'd had the night before Jack ran away had some huge part to play in her reasoning. He was actually kind of afraid, and he was a man 

who feared nothing, that he had been the final weight in a heavy decision. If something had happened to her while she was in New Vermont, it was such a shitty area….

He remembered that day as if it had only just happened…


	8. Chapter 8 Rejoining The Human Race

**A/N: A**ll right guys here is the next part of the chapter it is ridiculously long for that I apologize. There is also more Riddick insight, I don't know why I can't drag myself away from this guy but once I started writing from his point of view and just about him in general it really became near impossible to stop. Riddick is a very enigmatic creature. Here we go. Lots of Jack Riddick finally! Enjoy!

hover boards-futuristic version of the skateboard, ever seen Back To The Future II? Marty has one, very cool.

FLASHBACK RIDDICK POV

I woke up near noon, it was hot in my room. My skin was always unnaturally heated, a side effect of unnatural rage. Combined with the heat of the cramped room I could feel sweat rolling down my back from where I was positioned lying on the bed. The cotton of my black wife beater clung uncomfortably to me and I rose from the bed to stretch and re-adjust myself. Stiff muscles cracked back into place as I twisted my neck from left to right, instantly relieving the pressure there, the sounds of bones cracking filled the room and I sighed pleasurably, with relief.

I opened the door that led out into the hall. The stale scent of coffee assaulted me, I breathed it in. Imam had been gone already for a day on his retreat but the house still smelled like coffee from previous mornings spent there. I passed by Jacks room, smelled like raspberries, that was the spray she put on before school. I smirked because I had bought it for her, I'd gone to the store to get wire cutters, she'd come along. She actually walked by and sampled it, she had no intention of buying it, she may have fleeting considered stealing it, but she passed it up all the same instead opting to follow me on my to the hardware section of the store. She never asked me to buy it and I knew she didn't expect me to, but when I saw her longing gaze raking over it as we passed by, I made up my mind that I wanted her to have it. Once I picked my wire cutters off the shelf I turned on her abruptly thrusting credits into her hand and silently pointed over to the counter with her spray on it. She had gleamed up at me before bouncing off to buy it…not that I had any explanation for it, and not that I minded, but whenever she wore it I'd smile.

I had three hours before I was due at work and two hours before Jack would be home. I walked back into my room after using the bathroom, headed toward the small closet which I never used. I didn't own a lot of clothes but everything I did own fit neatly into the only dresser in the room, a crappy wooden furniture piece I picked up out of the trash. I wasn't exactly the 

type who could walk through a shopping mall without turning a few heads. Opening my closet I scanned over the empty space with nothing except a rack bolted into the wall, intended to be used for hanging garments.

I walked into the closet, ducking under the rod as I did so. Feeling my feet hit the bare back wall of the closet I turned towards the entrance, my back facing the wall, my eyes settling on the worn rusted steel bar now directly in front of my face. I grasped it with both hands, knuckles facing towards the entrance to the closet. I began effortlessly lifting myself off of the ground, relaxing in the sensation of my body lifting, and concentrating only on the sound of my breathing and the feel of my muscles stretching beneath my skin, flexing, relaxing me. When I was finished I was sweating more than when I woke up and retreated into the bathroom.

I sighed contentedly as the spray hit my face, the water temperature was luke warm, almost cold. I preferred it that way, cooled down my body faster. With my eyes closed I sniffed around me, the shower smelled like pears and grapes, Jack's body wash.

_Kid's gonna smell like a god damned fruit basket. _

I smiled though and began washing off the rest of my body. Daily showers were a luxury I couldn't quite get used to, but I was getting there. It had taken me a while to even adjust to a life lived on the outside of a prison. For instance when me Imam and Jack had first come to live here the only part of my daily hygiene routine was a bar of soap and a shower. My teeth I took care of as well I would any other weapon, kept them as neatly polished and maintained as my shivs. After all when your hands were frequently bound behind your back then having the ability to bite through someone did come in handy. Teeth were the same as blades, don't attend to them and they'll become weak and dull. Taking care of my teeth wasn't something I had to re-learn, but other things, like wearing de-odorant and cologne were things I'd never paid attention too. I never bothered with de-odorant. I chuckled, ducking under the mist to wash the lather of soap off my bald scalp. The first day back from a hard day at the mining colony had changed that, Jack and Imam had to all but hold their noses to keep from choking. I don't know who had gone out and actually bought it, but when I'd come home again the next day Jack had placed a plastic bottle of deodorant on my bed. I knew she'd been the one to actually put it there because at the time her chosen spray scent had been cucumber and I'd be damned if my room didn't smell like fresh salad when I walked in.

I took the hint from there, and anything I was unsure of, anything I'd forgotten along the long and winding road to being a convict was replaced as I took my que from Imam. I observed his morning rituals once in a while, listened outside the door. First came the shower, he didn't use just soap but a body wash like Jack, only his was for men. Holy man or not, I still thought that was pussy like. But I let it slide because he was a priest after all.

When I did take the time to observe Imam's hygienic habits, I would often smell a strong scent of aloe before hearing the scraping of a razor across grizzly skin. Even in slam shaving was a necessity. Hard to stay clean in a dump like that, and believe me every Slam has its own particular brand of vermin. You didn't even want imagine the creepy crawly possibilities of what you could wake up infested with if you didn't deal with your hair. Whenever I was in any sort of slam I never had shaving amenities, obviously. I always managed to make due though, anything else from axel grease to thick mud were acceptable replacements. Still, realizing there was no need for such 'replacements' I had ventured the green goo to see what it would be like. What a fucking mistake. Shaving with that shit had been a new and entirely annoying experience. The green goo like crap got everywhere! It was like a gooey mess, and some of it had dripped down the side of my scalp and hit me in the fucking eye! Shine job or not it had burned like a bitch.

After shaving, I would listen as Imam completed the morning ritual. From outside all I could hear was the sound of the medicine cabinet opening and closing. I'd seen a strange green colored glass bottle in there which I hadn't bothered opening it since it wasn't mine to touch. I knew it was what he had retrieved because it was the only glass bottle in the cabinet. I heard it clink distinctively against the porcelain of the sink, from outside the door the only other noise was the sound of his cheeks being lightly slapped. Men's after-shave; this I felt was one thing I didn't need to bother with. Besides, who did I have to smell nice for? The mines beneath the earth where I so frequently spent my time?

Imam never knew I observed his hygienic rituals, I'd always leave and retreat to my room before he'd even had the knob turned.

When I was done with my shower I finally left the bathroom in pursuit of food. One hour until work, but I expected Jack home any minute now. I hadn't been talking with her much, a side effect of caring. I supposed it was all right to have concern for her as long as she remained unawares. After all I couldn't let her down if she didn't get her hopes up in the first place. Looking back on it this may have been a bad way to view things. I digress.

I finished with my meal chomping down the last bites and dusting off my hands as I walked out of the room. It felt good and strange to have all these luxuries back at my disposal. Food when I wanted it, the option to eat whenever I felt the need, the ability to desire different foods and go out and buy them. Little things like that which weren't allowed in Slam. The clock on the wall read Two Forty-five. Where was Jack?

I sighed flopping on the couch, I had no intention of moving to leave for work until I knew where she was. It almost came a silent shock when I considered calling work but I flicked that thought from my mind, as important as my cover was who really gave a fuck about being responsible? One thing that had not changed since Slam, which would probably never change 

about me was my blunt and utter disregard for authority. I truly did not give a fuck if I were late or absent and anyone who did give a shit about my personal attendance record should consider not their opinions to me, it could only end badly…for them.

I sat there waiting, I couldn't have explained it to myself if a merc busted down the door just then and put a gun to my head but I needed to see her before I left. Jack needed to be present and accounted for before I went anywhere.

I sat in silence, no movement, my gaze traveled steadily between the door and the clock hanging over it. Where the hell was she? Thoughts ran through my head, ideas. I wondered if everything was all right.

Nearly four now. The Demon was rearing its ugly head, I fought for control. I didn't like this feeling one bit. Heavy breathing, a sudden tightness in my chest, a strain in the muscles of my body, if this was what anxious felt like then I was starting to get pretty fucking pissed at Jack for giving me a reason to get there. It was probably good that she didn't walk through the door just then because I probably would have seriously ripped the kid a new one.

Knock on the door, I rose, too quickly for even my liking. This had to be her. Opening the door I was severely disappointed.

Two women stood in front of me, two very different types of people. One was timid, almost shy. Very sweet looking, with chestnut curls and deep brown eyes, she seemed non-threatening and smaller than even Jack, although she was obviously older. She was no threat. She wore a long, plain dress and it covered her from neck to knees. Her hair was pulled back simply, and off her face, the curls cascading around her. She wore no jewelry, no make-up and no perfume. She held a piece of paper in her hand.

The woman next to her was very _different_. This woman was a proper weight, taller, broader, all-round smuttier. Her hair wasn't brown but blonde, and she wasn't dressed plainly like the other girl, her clothes were flashy enough, a short skirt showing off her legs, which were incredibly long from where I was standing and heavy on the makeup. She slid down the sunglasses she wore over her eyes, revealing deep blue gems. Popping her gum, she winked at me. I didn't know whether I was suppose to wink back or laugh, did this lady know who the fuck she was dealing with?

The timid one began to speak.

"Hello, I'm here to talk to you today about the way of our Lord God, savior and bearer of burden-

She was cut off as a large hand was placed in front of her face.

"Sister, do I look like a fan of religion to you?"

She gulped, maybe she didn't usually hear such abrupt cutoffs. I growled a little for emphasis because it looked like she was considering talking again. She nodded meekly and stuttered before she left.

"I'll ju-ju-just leave these he-re-re, then." Dropping pamphlets at my feet she turned and left. That lady really didn't know how lucky she was that I had answered the door instead of Imam, if she had wagered a debate against whose religion was superior…well it would have taken way to fucking long to get the part where she left.

I turned my head towards the blonde who had yet to leave. She popped her gum again, and I smiled, this one amused me. I sniffed the air, she was aroused. Ha.

"I take it you're not with her?" I jerked a thumb in the direction of our recently departed guest.

She laughed a little crossing her arms over her chest, obvious ploy and it did give me a fantastic view.

"No, honey, I just came by to introduce myself, my names Sheri, I just moved in upstairs," she pointed up with a perfectly manicured finger nail, and stepped closer, I noted she was in heels as I heard them click against the floor.

"What might your name be?" she leaned in closer pressing a well manicured pink fingernail against the center of my chest, slurring out her words as she casually ran the intruding digit down tracing over my abs.

I didn't protest and I didn't back up, the whores on New California were expensive, not that I'd waste the money. She however, was clearly interested, who was I to stop her? I just smiled down at her.

"Rich."

She laughed again, it was phony, plastic like her.

"Well yeah you must be to live here, all alone?"

Her face looked as if she were ready to frown if I said I was involved with someone else, it didn't look like that would have stopped her though.

I shook my head. We did live in a nice building, nicer than some of the other apartment complexes I'd seen around town but this complex definitely wasn't the nicest one in New California. Still, I knew a man would be well off who could afford to live here alone.

"Oh," she pouted, "you have a roommate?"

Hope sounded in her voice, I was available if I was unattached.

"Yeah, two, a friend of mine and my niece."

I was sorely tempted to say it was Imam's niece, and I didn't really know if I made the right decision in saying Jack was related to me but if Sheri lived here than eventually she'd run across Imam and Jack. Who clearly were of no relation, this seemed easier to avoid suspicion. Secretly, at that moment I took pride in referring to Imam as my friend.

Her face instantly brightened, it almost repulsed me, she was easy on the eyes but not when she was being so phony and her flirting skills sucked. I would have fucked her for the asking, all this extra sweet shit was really unnecessary.

"Well babe, I have to go, I got an appointment, but uh…maybe you could give me a call sometime? Just come over if you get lonely, apartment 3 B," She winked at me before leaning into me to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. I tensed, but other than that I received her offending peck pretty off handedly, the smell in her arousal spiked when she touched my bicep, I got a clear shot as she leaned over me. She sautéed off, totally unaffected by my eyes boring into her ass as she left. I shut the door.

Walking into the room I had to clear my head a little bit. Most people had a natural instinct to stay away the hell away from me, I'd never been flirted with that openly that quickly. Especially when I'd been acting like my charming serial killer self. I saw my toolbox on the table, why wasn't I at work right now?

I stole a glance at the clock.

"OH!"

Jack! Where the fuck was she! It was four thirty now and I was done with this shit. It was hot outside, always was in New California, grabbing my keys and my wallet I left.

First I went to Jack's school, there was no sign of her outside but there were a bunch of kids circling around the front gate. Rowdy bunch by the looks of it, I thought about what I knew of jack, as I observed the school kids. I had to admit they sort of looked like her type.

Bunch of brats thinking they were big shit with spray cans riding around on bikes. I grunted out a laugh, but stayed silent to hear the rest of their conversation. I counted about ten of them, six on bikes, two on hover boards, and two walkers. Loud little fuckers, their voices carried clear across to the courtyard and over to the alley where I stood eavesdropping.

"Yeah! That's what I heard! She decked the fucker! Right in the face! Took him down like a sack of bricks!"

Another boy practicing doing wheelies on his bike broke in,

"That little prick deserved it! His mom's on the PTA and she keeps pushing that we wear uniforms, the whole family is a bunch of stuck up fucks!"

These kids would have made slam look like a tea party with those mouths. Christ, the whole bunch could only have been about fifteen, maybe sixteen. I smirked then thinking back to my vocabulary at that age. Shrugging to myself in the dark I continued to listen.

"So where the hell is she anyway? We've been here for like two hours and it's more than starting to suck."

It was one of the board kids who had spoken up, he was trying to jump the curb and flip over the bike kids with his hover board. Those looked like cool toys, I wondered if Jack would want one.

"At least two hours, hell I'm surprised they didn't suspend her for violence on school grounds, but I think they demoted it to detention cause' fuck-face started it-WHOA! Hey watch it asshole!"

The kid on the bike had been cut off by the kid on the hover-board who had flipped off of the curb and turned in the air over the kid on the bike's head, the only problem was the board cleared the bike, not the kid sitting on it. He had to duck to avoid his head getting nicked. I laughed, either these fuckers were genuinely amusing or it had been longer than I realized since the last time I'd engaged in a real conversation with Jack, those always made me laugh too.

"Sorry, bro no harm no foul," The board kid was laughing.

"Yeah, fuck you."

Another one of the bike kids began to speak.

"What's her name?"

"Joan?"

"Nah, it's a guy's name I remember…Joe?"

"Dumb shits, you're all talking about how cool she is you don't even know her name? How are we suppose to invite her to hang out if we don't even know her name?"

"Well who gives a royal fuck we'll just ask her anyway."

"Jack, her name is Jack, and she'd love to hang out with you."

I watched Jack walk out of the yard, backpack over her shoulder, hat slung down low, face beaming with pride. I had to admit I didn't know the whole situation but fighting and winning was nothing I was ashamed of, and managing not to get suspended, hell she made my chest swell with Pride. From there introductions and invites were made and the kids ran off to celebrate Jack's victory.

I debated briefly with myself whether I should follow and monitor their activities or not but how much trouble could a bunch of kids get into? Either way it was only around five, I was sure Jack would be home in time for dinner, she always was, maybe even before then. I chuckled walking down the alley way I been eavesdropping from, I continued made my way back to the apartment building. I wouldn't go to work tonight, better to just stay in.

I'd cook dinner for us tonight, something that was easy and I'd wait for her to come in. Knowing Jack I figured she'd be dying to tell me about her first winning fight and I'd listen and I'd be really proud when she was done. I'd act like it was something I could relate to because it was a fight thing, not like I cared.

Macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets were on the menu tonight. Actually one of Jack's favorite, mostly because Imam had some pretty ridiculous dairy rules in his religion and Jack didn't get this meal often. Something about holy cows and milk shit, whatever just because he drank goat milk didn't mean we had too. Fuck it, not my God. I made it, and when Jack wasn't home by ten I fucking ate it pissed off as hell. I broke my fork I was gripping it so hard, where were they?

The ugly demon of concern didn't rear his ugly head until around midnight. I hadn't seen her since six hours ago, where the fuck were those kids? By then I was about to go out looking for her when there was a knock on the door. I starred at the door as if daring it to answer me back, daring it to tell me that the person on the other side of that door wasn't Jack. What are 

the odds of this happening twice in one day? Literally stomping over to the door I threw it open. There stood a girl I was interested in but not the one who I wanted to see.

"Hey babe, I brought you these."

Sheri stood clad in nothing more than a skimpy night gown dress thing, with a _very _light silk robe draped over it. The dress extended to her knees and the robe wavered down to her calves. Both garments were low cut and if I looked down carefully enough I could actually see her bare breasts. Wow. It took me a full five minutes to realize she was holding something in her hand. A plate. A plate of cupcakes. What the fuck was going on today?

"They're cupcakes, you looked like someone who had a sweet tooth and I thought you might like a midnight snack."

I think I grunted.

Sheri looked put out and I began to wonder what else was left in this little exchange.

"Can I come in?"

Oh, so that was what she was after, I put my arm up on the doorframe leaning into her. I sighed, I guess I must have looked good from this angle because her scent spiked again and I could smell her arousal. I was too angry to be aroused, I didn't like having unaswered questions or being confused, where the hell was Jack? Finding her was my only priority right now. On the other hand the idea of this lady coming in and taking the edge off of my stress was really appealing. Who knew caring could be so stressful? I was stressed, I could feel the tension in every pore of my body. I took a deep inhalation, breathing Sheri in, she smelt good. I leaned back nodding, and Sheri rushed in without a second thought. My last thoughts as I closed the door were hopeful that whatever was under that sundress would be able to distract my inner demon, concern, long enough for me to rationalize how to find Jack.

"So where are the roommates?"

Heh, good question I mentally jabbed.

Answering her was no problem I just wondered how to address Imam without calling him a priest in the process. I stumbled.

"Uh, my friend, the male, he'll be out of town for the next few days and my niece, she's out with some friends tonight."

Sheri needed no further incentive to ditch the robe.

I whistled real low, she had a beautiful body.

"Is she out for the whole night, honey? Because if we're on a time limit we should get started kind of soon don't ya think?"

"Really?" My voice was huskier than usual; she must have really liked that because her scent almost knocked me off my feet.

"Well, we could go back to my place-

"NO."

I spoke at normal level but my tone broke the seductive atmosphere, I didn't want to miss Jack if she came back though. Thinking back on it….considering I always intended to have sex with Sheri since the moment I let her walk in, I can assess that this was a bad idea. A very dumb, bad idea.

Sheri got started right away, running her nails and hands up my body in a frenzied manner. I knew she wasn't the kind of girl who liked to take things slow. This was only re-affirmed when we stumbled into my room, and she lifted her night dress in one fluid motion. There was not a stitch of clothing on her underneath and I suddenly realized why I could smell her as strongly as I did.

Formalities were tossed aside, and as we fell onto the bed, her under me I made to unbutton my cargo pants. It vaguely occurred to me as I undid my zipper and felt her legs wrap around my waist, that this woman didn't even know my last name. Her nails dug into my shoulders just then dragging me back into the room, and I felt the heel of her foot rubbing against my waistline pushing the pants down further as I shimmied them off. She sighed contently as I pressed against her, and by the time I heard the front door open we were knee deep in it.

Sheri was definitely not a silent lover. She was loud, real loud, and if it hadn't of been so long for me and if she hadn't of sounded completely full of shit, I might have enjoyed it. She was satisfied that much was sure, but her moans didn't need to be _that_ loud. I could only assume she'd picked up the habit from sleeping with other men who needing that kind of affirmation, I on the other hand, had other ways of realizing just how much she was enjoying this.

Hearing the front door shut I heard footsteps and was extremely disturbed. I didn't want Jack here when I was doing this…when I was doing…what the fuck was this bitches name? With all her moaning I found it hard to remember…Sheri! Right, that was her name. I thrust harder hoping to speed the process up but I only earned another moan frohjm the woman lying under 

me convulsing. My first instinct had been to cover her mouth and I might have had she not lived upstairs, I knew the woman liked it rough I didn't think she was going to like it _that_ rough.

By this point I knew Jack could hear us and I could hear her even as she ran to her room, Sheri started moaning louder again and I rolled my hips trying to finish. The sad truth was I didn't think I'd be able to finish knowing Jack was there in the next room, I heard her bang on the wall and yell out something about us shutting up and it totally killed my mood.

Now learning to adjust to concern for another human was one thing, that was something that I least considered a human trait; a consequence of rejoining the human race if you will. However, I don't give a fuck if you're the divine creator himself there was no one person in the entire universe who should be able to keep me of all fucking people from enjoying a good screw! Not Jack's voice, not world peace, not the fucking pope, nothing!

However just a couple of choice words from Jack, just the sound of her voice and I had been totally distracted and I WAS NOT a man who had any problems in that area, whatso-fucking-ever! I had to basically start all over again, working up my own arousal, Jack didn't talk or bang the walls again, for which I was grateful. Sheri started in with a fresh wave of moans but I just pushed on trying to finish up. We'd already been at it for a while when Jack walked in the apartment and unbeknownst to Sheri I was basically starting all over again. I'm sure she hadn't expected that. She was beyond over the edge and when we finished a couple of hours later, I wondered if she'd be able to walk.

Walk she did though, straight into the bathroom, without a stitch of clothing on. I knew Jack was still in her room and it didn't faze me, when she came back in though, I was already standing there, clothed only in my cargo's ready to throw her ass out. I threw the scrunched up silky material of her discarded night gown and robe straight at her. I was only midly surprised when she caught them.

"Aw, you want me to cover up already?"

I knew that in the big book on rules of social interaction there was probably a proper way to deal with this situation how to tell her to get the fuck out without actually telling her to get the fuck out…good thing I didn't read much.

"Stay naked if you want, but you got to get the fuck out."

She pouted a little, maybe the fact that I was dead serious had escaped her.

"You want me to leave already? Baby, we just got started."

I laughed, I couldn't help myself, and even when I tried to suppress it, for no other reason than because she had been a fantastic screw, screaming aside, the look on her crestfallen face only made me laugh harder.

I stopped laughing long enough to speak.

"No, seriously, that was great, thanks, I feel all good again, but now I have a certain refugee niece to deal with and you just gotta go."

She seemed to perk up at this, as if she was glad to know she wasn't the problem. Me, personally, I didn't think there was a way I could have been more of a dick in ditching her. She started dressing in front of me and I turned away to look for my shirt. When she was done, my back still towards her, she snaked her arms around my waist, I felt her stand up on her tippy toes, because all she'd worn down were slippers, and take the flesh of my ear lobe in between my teeth. My arousal was spent for the evening and it had minimal effect on me. I wasn't exactly interested in a dish I'd already tried; especially so soon after sampling.

"Well I'm going to go, you tell your uh…niece that Aunt Sheri has more cupcakes upstairs in case she has a sweet tooth like her uncle, I left them out on the table. And baby, that goes for you too."

She smacked my ass and I kept my back to her as I heard her walk out of my room and into the hall. I didn't let out the sigh I'd been holding in until I heard the front door click close. Fucking Sheri had been an amazing idea, as bothered and angry as I was before I was perfectly clear now. The demon was silent because I knew where Jack was, safe and sound sleeping in her bedroom. Any residual pent up frustration I'd felt was fucked out between me and Sheri. The only thing on my mind at the moment was Jack. I was going to seriously lay into that kid, what the fuck gave her the right to come home this late? The only thing was how did I scold her without letting on that I gave a flying fuck? Complicated bullshit. I fled into the bathroom, I could still smell Sheri on me, it was beginning to make me gag. I noted with minimal concern that my upper arms were marred with red scratch marks. That bitch was a clawer and a moaner. I took a shower to clear my head and when I was done I retreated into the safety of the unlit living room. For a long while I just sat on the sofa listening to the sounds of the silent apartment, hearing transport units whiz by downstairs. In the darkness I tried to organize my thoughts. Around this time Jack's door opened, and from where I sat I could hear her lithe movements as she made her way down the hall. I sat back letting the shadows cover me like a thick blanket.

She was headed towards the kitchen. At seeing her up close and unharmed, the demon gained ridiculous satisfaction, but my inner beast sitting there watching her strut around just perfectly fine acting as if there wasn't any problem at all got me pretty pissed pretty quick. Where the fuck had she been for ten hours? What the hell had her and those little rug-rat shits been up to that was so fucking entertaining that it detained her for nine god damned hours? As my anger rose my body left the couch and I found myself speaking.

"Lights 40 percent."

I had scarred her, I could tell. She jumped, only slightly but enough and from here I could hear her heart beat start to increase.

When she did meet my eyes, once she regained her composure, she seemed to be…angry? What in the fuck did she have to be angry about? It wasn't just anger though, I could see her eyes, her face, her whole body just reeked of _betrayal_.

' _Cold day in fucking hell Jack that you get to feel betrayed just because I had to relieve tension'. _ Besides Jack was the reason I was that fucking tense in the first place, and it wasn't like I didn't keep my door shut, was I to blame that the bitch was louder than an explosion?

I spoke first.

"It's late."

Maybe she'd realized that her time telling skills were a little off. Wasn't like she was here, in the apartment when Sheri came over at two in the fucking morning!

"Look who can tell time all of a sudden."

Her reply didn't surprise me, she was sarcastic to a fault, it only ever endeared me to her. The three weeks we were stuck on that skiff, even before Chillingsworth had picked us up, we had a lot of fun tossing back remarks between the two of us, laughing at our own wit and at Imam's raised eyebrows. We'd even made a game out of it, see who could disturb the Holy man more. I'd almost always won, but the two times Jack had taken the prize she'd never smiled brighter. No, her sarcasm didn't shock me but the hostility in her tone did, she wanted to be hostile? I'd give her fucking hostility.

"Aren't you suppose to be sleeping _little girl_?"

I knew she despised that title. One very close conversation between the two of us was a while ago, the first week out on the skiff when Jack would pester me every five minutes asking 

me questions, constantly bombarding me with this thirsting curiosity that was never quenched. Any question she'd ever asked me she'd immediately answer it of herself. She told me those were the rules from the start, her way of trapping me even when I asked her questions about herself. She'd been very clear with the rules, don't even think of asking her a question about her past if I wasn't ready to answer it about myself. Which is why I seldom played, I always let her lead and you could pass on any question. After passing on my parents, and passing on what my first crime had been, both questions a sixteen year old had no business asking about, let alone a stranger, I didn't pass on the next one.

'Least favorite label?' She'd asked me unexpectedly. I wondered where she came up with this shit. I'd answered her, _murderer_. I didn't mind killer, or convict, or maniac or even psychopath, but murderer, it irked me. She immediately replied with her own answer,

'Little girl', I'm not ya know?'

She'd gone on to tell me that she wasn't little and she certainly didn't appreciate anyone pointing out she was a girl because all it had ever gotten her was into trouble. She didn't say anything more on the topic and I didn't pursue it. I wondered if she'd picked up on the name I'd called her, I wondered briefly if she had the balls to throw my own most hated insult back at me. I listened eagerly.

"Yea well some fucking whore kept me up- I guess _murderers_ can't buy them quite anymore-huh?"

I kept my face passive, I was glad to know she was up for playing this game because I wasn't about to be merciful just for her sake. I was still pretty fucking pissed. First things first, Sheri wasn't bought.

"She wasn't bought-

"And I wasn't asking for details."

She turned to leave, she was walking fast. The demon in me was sated; she was safe she was here, home, in one piece. The inner beast, though? He wasn't even warmed up yet; I struggled between the two trying to figure out who should have the last say…guess who won?

"Don't do it again" I called out in a hard voice which left no room for argument just as she reached the door to her bedroom.

"DO what?"

The hostility was leaking out of every crevice of that simple two word sentence.

I briefly wondered how I could answer her while pissing her off as much as possible, ever so slightly amusement crept onto my face. Not that she could see it with her back to me but I smirked in the darkness as I replied, I didn't think she'd be able to resist.

"Interrupt."

I watched her as I said it, watched her shoulders stiffen and her breathing quicken. If rage were flame than I'd definitely just stoked the fire. I could see her debating with herself, whether she should keep going into her room or continue our fight. I knew which one I wanted her to pick but I waited saying nothing. I knew she was going to take the bait, she had to. I was eager to see what kind of opponent Jack made in an argument. Now, looking back on it, I think I just missed talking to her. Either way we were about to have it out.

I watched her turn around, spinning quickly on her heel and marching angrily towards me. Her eyes held nothing but fury in them and her face was a mask of murder. Ha, she was cute like this.

"INTERRUPT?" She was extremely pissed now.

"Interrupt? How pray tell DID I FUCKING INTERRUPT!"

Her voice only rose a little bit and I played my part keeping my cool and responding to her as if she weren't worth the effort.

"She left didn't she?"

I wasn't about to tell her I'd kicked her out just so I could get down to the good part of the evening-tearing Jack a new one.

"This is bad because...? Oh I'm sorry did you pay for the full night? Didn't mean to make you lose your money."

I stood slowly, going for what came most natural to me, intimidation. I took my most frightening stance, legs stretched apart, muscles flexed, fists clenched tightly at my sides, I had starred down prison guards using less than this. Yet this little lisp of a girl stood strong in front of me, her eyes never wavered from mine and she starred up at me daring me to make her do otherwise.

"She was not paid for so stop fucking saying it."

I did my best to stare her down; I was getting a kick out of her apparent calm. I knew Jack had balls for a kid but I just couldn't be challenged and forget it, I wasn't one to forfeit the dominant part of anything.

"Your right, she wasn't paid for..." Jack looked down as if she intended to relent... I knew better than to expect that out of her. I braced myself for whatever she was about to say, half of me interested in what she had to top murderer and the other half almost afraid of what she was going to say.

"You probably fucking drugged her like the sick fucking rapist you are!"

Admittedly, I wasn't prepared for that. Not her tone, not the look on her face, and definitely not those words coming out of the mouth of one of the only people in the universe whose opinion mattered to me. I saw red, what can I say? I heard a sudden outburst, a sudden enraged roar and it took me a minute to realize it was me; looks like the beast had won this round hands down. I grabbed Jack by the throat slamming her into the nearest wall; I could barely keep myself from holding out. I don't think I would ever hurt Jack, not even now, but seriously at that moment I was shaking with rage. I couldn't just stand there and not do anything when rage filled me so completely and the only solution I've ever known to calm my boiling blood is violence. Maybe no one else realized it and perhaps I'd kept that fact well hidden from the girl whose throat my first was wrapped around, but that's who I was. The reason everyone needed to stay the fuck away from Richard B. Riddick. The only thing that kept me together in those moments was the look on Jack's face, as soon as I'd shouted she had a look of pure shock like she'd just realized who the fuck she was dealing with.

Now that I had her by the throat though, fist poised in the air as if ready to strike, the anger flooded back into her eyes and I was left starring into the face of a very pissed off little girl. I remember thinking cynically to myself at the time, '_some Kid'. _

"Let me fucking go!"

Jack squirmed in my grip, angry eyes and all as she stared hatefully at me, it was enough for me to lose my pathetic attempt at what little self control I had left. I left my fist fly. I felt the hand holding her release, I felt my hand flying towards where her head was, felt myself lose control, and in the last second I detoured. In the last fraction of a second I sent my fist crashing through the wall next to her, burying it with deep satisfaction into the plaster, feeling the material crumble under my heavy hand.

I felt more than heard Jack drop to the floor, saw the plaster hitting the wooden floor under my feet and finally the unbearable sound of Jack dragging herself off of the ground her skin rubbed against the wood, her bare arms squeaking against it. As she ran from me, ran from the one man who she'd considered her hero, her fucking savior, I heard her yell at a very audible asshole. If I hadn't of been as disgusted with myself as I was for slamming her into the wall I might have smirked at her moxy. _Yeah kid I really am. _

END FLASHBACK

I sighed all at once coming back to the present. If it were possible for me to feel dizzy I think now would have been one of those moments. That night I didn't bother sleeping in the apartment I got up and left. Walked around for hours wondering about just how to get myself out of this fucked up little situation I had created. I was, for the first time in a long while, something similar to happy living with Imam and Jack. I knew I couldn't stay though. See that was the biggest joke of all to this whole thing, Jack did not have the idea of running first; she just beat me to the punch. Had Imam not been away on a retreat my ass would have been gone before she woke up. Obviously me staying with them was doing far more harm than good. That day as I worked in the mines I knew I'd be leaving as soon as she got back. It bothered me all day, made a big heavy pit in my stomach, felt as if I had chains rolling around down there. I pushed past it though, this had to be done. Big evil didn't belong domesticated anyway, no such word as friend, things could only end bad when you let someone in. _Bad for _them.

No time to regret missed opportunities. Even if I had left that night, Jack wouldn't have stuck around for Imam. I don't know if she would have honestly pursued me but the holy man was out of the house for one damn day and she was already running around with a chain gang until two am. One thing about her, never took Jack long to find trouble. Sighing I stood from the couch, taking the remnants of my third empty beer bottle with me. I shouldn't keep her waiting any longer, I was due at work. I had no intention of going to work but if Jack thought I was gone she would come back into the apartment. I absentmindedly wondered how long I'd kept her waiting out in that alley way. There really wasn't any need to pursue your prey when you could so easily lure them in the exact location you wanted them in.

As I walked by the kitchen, tool box in hand I noticed a hole in the wall. _The hole_ where I'd slammed my fist through it. Maybe this wasn't the best place to have a show down with Jack, bad memories and all. Well, she'd have to deal with it eventually the only question was where was I going to go once I got her to agree to stay here…if I could even get her to agree to stay here.

Sighing I reached the door and exited the apartment turning around to jiggle my keys and lock the door.

"I'm getting too old for this shit."

I walked down the stairs of the apartment building quickly, almost excited. Time to finish this shit, time to put my plan into action. _Get ready Jack cause you're about to get your ass handed to you. _


End file.
